There are many things in life which some of us long for. Some of us long for sufficient wealth, some long for job or financial security, some long for titles and recognition, some long for a good family (especially a good and loving husband or wife), some long for good health and being free from major illnesses, some even long for a better quality of life. But among all these things we may long for, the one thing which perhaps we long for the most is happiness. Some of us try to gain happiness in one of the many ways and things we long for, only to find that these do not really grant us happiness, since happiness is not something we can buy or achieve.
Happiness, as today's readings show us, is a precious gift from God. In the first reading, Isaiah tells us: "Why spend money on what is not bread, your wages on what fails to satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and you will have good things to eat and rich food to enjoy. Pay attention, come to me; listen, and your soul will live." When we accept God's gift of happiness, come to Him and listen to Him, we will be cared for and be satisfied. This understanding of happiness was also experienced by Jesus at his baptism where God the Father said to Him: "This is my Son, the Beloved, my favour rests on him." Even though Jesus experienced much persecution and rejection, He knew that what mattered most is that God loved Him and nothing, not even death on the cross, could change that.
God is inviting each and every one of us today to be happy and satisfied in Him. He is calling out to us, treating us as His beloved and His precious. We do not need to prove ourselves to God, and there is no need for us to run around in circles looking elsewhere for happiness and satisfaction. Let us seize this free opportunity to experience true happiness and true satisfaction in God, and let Him be our loving guide.
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